Baron Joseph Dominique Louis (1755–1837)
Medium
Ivory
Dimensions
Oval, 4 1/8 x 3 1/8 in. (105 x 80 mm)
Classification
Miniatures
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Moses Lazarus Collection, Gift of Josephine and Sarah Lazarus, in memory of their father, 1888–95
Accession Number
95.14.90
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite ivory miniature portrait depicts Baron Joseph Dominique Louis (1755–1837), a prominent figure from the Napoleonic era, captured posthumously by French artist Pierre Laurent Canon in1844. Measuring just 4 1/8 x 3 1/8 inches in an elegant oval format, it exemplifies the intimate scale and precision of 19th-century European portrait miniatures. Carved in ivory—a favored medium for its smooth surface that allowed for lifelike detail and subtle tonal gradations—the work showcases Canon's skill in rendering fine facial features, textures, and expressions on a tiny canvas. Miniatures ...